Week of Service SEPT 4-11 2016
September 4-11, 2016 will be the Virginia Synod's 4th annual Week of Service! 

The Virginia Synod Week of Service coincides with "God's Work, Our Hands" Sunday, the ELCA Day of Service on September 11.  This year's dedicated day of service also marks the 15-year anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

We have extended the opportunity to serve to accommodate varying schedules. Last year 70 churches participated in the Week of Service.

All congregations are invited to reach out into their neighborhoods to become God's hands and feet, to serve those in need and to share God's compassion with the world. The Week of Service is an opportunity for everyone to intentionally invest time in service projects outside the walls of the church. Pick a project and prepare to serve others in the name of God's love.
Order your "God's Work. Our Hands" 


Steps to Serving
Step 1:  Plan Your Project
Gather a team and find a way to serve others who are outside the walls of your church. Rake leaves, package boxes of food, clean up a park, organize a clothes closet, and ask other organizations how you can help. Whatever you do, remember that you will be ambassadors for Christ in your community.

Step 2:  Pray & Serve Together
Before setting out to serve your neighbors, take a moment and pray for those whom you will bless through your project. This year in remembrance of the 15-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, consider thanking and holding in prayer the emergency responders in your area as part of your service.

Step 3:  Tell Your Story
Take pictures! You can show them to the members of your congregation who couldn't participate. Don't forget to send an email to [email protected] with your photos and details about your project so that we can celebrate together as a Synod. Use #VASynodServes on social media so that you can connect with others in our Synod who are participating in the Week of Service.

"The world can be a dangerous place. But there are some who, when disaster strikes, run toward the danger. These are the first responders, firefighters, police and EMTs, who live out their baptismal vocation in service to their communities in times of intense need. They do God's work with their hands." 
- ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth A. Eaton

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